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John the Baptist, Elijah and "The Prophet" - who???

TurquoiseTasticTurquoiseTastic Kerygmania Host
in Kerygmania
Today we had the passage from Luke 1 about Zechariah and Elizabeth and Gabriel, where John the Baptist is said to be "in the spirit and power of Elijah".

This made me think of the passage in John 1 where John the Baptist is asked whether he is is Elijah and says "No". That has always puzzled me, given that Jesus elsewhere identifies John with Elijah.

But then they ask him whether he is "the prophet", to which he also says "no". What prophet is this? Who is expecting this prophet? Does this prophet appear anywhere else in Scripture or tradition, Christian, Jewish or indeed Muslim?

Apologies if I have asked this question before.

Comments

  • HedgehogHedgehog Shipmate
    I believe "the prophet" is a reference to Deut. 18: 13-19. Moses states that the Lord will raise up "a prophet like me."

    In Acts 3 Peter connects Jesus to being "the prophet."
  • TurquoiseTasticTurquoiseTastic Kerygmania Host
    So in Jewish thought is "the prophet" identified with (the still to come) Messiah or is it someone different?
  • Gramps49Gramps49 Shipmate
    In the seder, they will have a plate set up for the prophet. At one point, they will also open an outside door to see if the prophet is there. I have always understood the prophet would be Elijah returning to earth since tradition says Elijah did not die but was taken up to heaven.
  • TurquoiseTasticTurquoiseTastic Kerygmania Host
    Gramps49 wrote: »
    In the seder, they will have a plate set up for the prophet. At one point, they will also open an outside door to see if the prophet is there. I have always understood the prophet would be Elijah returning to earth since tradition says Elijah did not die but was taken up to heaven.
    Very interesting! But I don't think "the prophet" can be the same as Elijah in John 1 - otherwise it wouldn't make sense to ask John separately "are you Elijah" and "are you the prophet"?

  • Lamb ChoppedLamb Chopped Shipmate
    IMO Hedgehog has it right. And I think this prophet is a reference to Jesus, but of course, from that side of history it would still be very unclear.
  • Martin54Martin54 Deckhand, Styx
    Luke 13:33 In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!
  • ThunderBunkThunderBunk Shipmate
    It's a parallelism - a very common poetic device. It's not a police interrogation.
  • TurquoiseTasticTurquoiseTastic Kerygmania Host
    @Martin54 wrote:
    Martin54 wrote: »
    The NT references culminate in Jesus. And giving goodwill to His extended family, Mary was obviously strongly under the influence of her older (50 something?) cousin Elisabeth. The novel continues to write itself. These are the women who created Christ.
    I thought it was on the wrong thread and shifted it but not so: @Martin54 continues:
    No Sir. Jesus being the Prophet was part of the family conspiracy that we can shift back on Elisabeth.
  • Martin54Martin54 Deckhand, Styx
    edited December 2023
    Thankyou @TurquoiseTastic. I should have said that Elisabeth and her young 'cousin' (kinswoman) bred prophets. The novel gets more and more interesting. What, who decided, when, that Jesus would have pre-eminence? Be the Christ? And his six months older 2nd cousin (at the closest), by a much older mother, a reverend mother (yep, a Dune reference, the Bene Gesserit witch. Mary is the Lady Jessica), be His herald?

    Elisabeth accepted the situation from strength. Laid down her seniority and that of her son. To Mary's greater mystical zeal.
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